Karim Benzema: Why Real Madrid Striker Should Not Be David Moyes' Big Signing

Manchester United are expected to make at least one big-money signing this summer to offset the loss of Sir Alex Ferguson and rejuvenate the fans' hope.

Speculation has been rife that Cristiano Ronaldo could make a sensational return to Old Trafford (via The Daily Mail), and while others have had their names linked to the club in preparation for the summer window, Karim Benzema is not one to get excited about.

ESPN have suggested David Moyes will chase the Real Madrid hitman and is prepared to part with £30 million to do so, but it's difficult to see this one coming off in a positive manner.

Fergie was said to be chasing Benzema while he was still a Lyon player, but Madrid took the plunge: €35 million, potentially rising to €41 million, was the fee that took the Frenchman to the Santiago Bernabeu.

United could have stepped up with stronger interest then, but they opted to let the Frenchman become a Galactico with little hesitation.

It speaks volumes of United's interest in the player then, and it's very unlikely that it's increased since.

The Sun are reporting that Benzema would be a prospective replacement for the outbound Wayne Rooney, and that the United stalwart is all set to leave this summer.

United will want to run with four strikers next season, but they'll only use one on the pitch at a time for most games. Selling Rooney isn't just selling a forward, though, it's selling an incredibly versatile player who can man the left side, the central role, play as a No. 10 or even sit in central midfield.

The ability to put Rooney "wherever" on the field is a valuable option, so to replace him with a pure striker would mean said player's goalscoring record is insane.

And Benzema's is not.

It's good, but it's not insane, and the Frenchman has also been found to go missing in the big games.

Jose Mourinho seemingly hasn't been able to decide between Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain for three seasons now, and had Ronaldo not been netting a goal a game, he may have moved to secure a new centre-forward.

And what happens to Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck? Many United fans wish to see their careers prosper in red, and if Welbeck is as good as the hierarchy say, they need to give him a chance to prove it.

United need to spend this summer, but they must do so in the right areas. Shore up central midfield with a signing or two before you go chasing big-money strikers when you've already got one in Robin van Persie.